John 8:1-11

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,
4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.
5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?"
6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more."]

Question: Why did the older people leave first? John found it important enough to include this detail in the story. Why were the older people less inclined to condemn first?

This is considered by modern critics to be a later insertion. A lot of Bible versions will include this information in a footnote. People think a later editor inserted the story. And yet this part has been accepted and been a part of the gospel of John from very early. If it was added others who knew about it agreed that it belonged.

This story is so good that if John left it out at first, perhaps the story was passed around orally and someone felt it just must be written down and included. Maybe even John himself at a later date.